Stray

This might have been better as an 8 part series so the characters, like the main ones, could have been developed better as to learn what their powers were all about. We got about a two minute explanation, sort of, about 3/4 of the way through from the brother that didn't explain much. All we knew was they had some sort of smokey power that could kill or heal and not much more than that. The acting overall though was fine just not enough time to get into anything real. Special effects and production value were fine as well. It was a slow rolling film that skimmed over the top of everything that might have added interest in the characters which also made the second half sort of boring. The first half at least was trying to figure out what was going on, so it could have actually been better with a better more developed script. It's watchable but only if nothing better to do.

Well.... To be honest... Thw movie had a potential... From a rather lovely and ok cast, through story, even effects... It was not just a cheap chip off or something... Effort was made... But in the end the editing, cutting, piecing things together did the damage, I d say... Something was lacking and edit was, I assume from my stand point, bad, so... But the material was good and somethi g could have had been done with all of it to make the movie truly compeling instead of letting people looking forward to the end so just to be done with watching the movie...

I really wanted to check this out because it had an interesting poster, and a plot-line straight out of a killer fantasy paperback. But, god, was this movie a torture sit through. First, I would say that the characters felt almost bland, except the detective, Murphy, whom we're introduced to while she stares at a man making her a tattoo. One would infer that she's trying to be flirtatious and get some action, but no, the tattooist is just a throwaway character.

Just like every other character that exists in the movie. No one really ever felt that they were in their zone, and crucial time was wasted on nonsense drama of the detective with no connection to the theme or narrative, than introducing the conflict and antagonist soon into the movie. Our secondary heroine, Nori, is also a blank slate of a character with no drive or motivation to get things moving. She mourns, she rests, does magical bullsh*t that's pretty much unexplained, and runs like a puny chicken with no real purpose.

Coming to the plot, it's one of the most predictable and bland storylines, that I've seen on screen. What could've been a thrilling supernatural horror drama, ends up being a half-assed attempt at a superhero origin story. The director must've watched some Dark, and some superhero films, and some anime, and tried to blend in everything to give us a stale and flavorless product. A premise like this should have excitement and tension, but none of it exists here. All because the characters react in an oblivious manner to any damn interesting supernatural phenomena. Seriously, if I'd seen something remotely anything otherworldly, I would legit freak out for days.

Solid technical values, and interesting music don't help the movie for lift off, since the engine isn't even there. A tighter and earlier sense of character conflict, and tension could've help the movie very much.

This is how to make a bad movie. The story has a multiple holes and lazy performance from actors.

I had put off watching it for the longest thinking it would be boring and vapid. When I finally got around to watching it I could not stop.

I loved hope it combines some Japanese Shinto beliefs about the past and nature and it makes it about a modern day struggle within a family with deep ties into the Shinto world. It might be a old storyline to some but I enjoyed a new take on it from a different perspective.

The way it ended I would not be surprised there are alternative endings as well. It could even have been played out to leave an opening for a sequel. I would be eager to see it.